On stage, the Ruhr Region reaps honors and thundering applause again and again for spectacular productions.
For example, Essen’s Aalto Theater was named the Opera house of the year in 2008 and the famed Bochum Theater achieved national celebrity with the help of innovative artistic directors such as Leander Haußmann.

Theater lovers should also plan a visit to one of the Ruhr’s oldest theaters, the Grillo Theater, which was built in Essen in 1892.
And for musical fans, the popular Starlight Express, which has been performed in theater specially built for the show since 1988, is still a long way from reaching the end of the line.